Craft Textile Exhibition at Streamstown Railway Station

Streamstown Railway Station hosted its first official function last weekend with the showing of a Craft Textile Exhibition.

Ciara Maxwell, National College of Art and Design student and trainee Art teacher has been working with the local community over the past number of months and this was the culmination of Stage 1 of the project.

Ciara said that workshops were held in May to discuss the project which would be a two part series. The first, an exhibition of the art pieces which would be designed based on the artefacts and images of the train station and rail track. The second part of the series will be a recording, both written and oral, of history, memories, and lived experiences of people who have used it, be it as a working railway station or as it is today, as a thriving amenity.

The exhibition was on display on Saturday and Sunday with beautiful images of the railway and its artefacts printed on material which were then crafted by the participants of the group into beautiful, unique creations of art. These art installations hung to the backdrop of the original stone building which provided the perfect and appropriate backdrop for the occasion.

Those who attended were delighted to see the renovated building showcase it’s first official function and Noel McCormack, Streamstown Tidy Village was proud to see that the fruits of their efforts, in conjunction with Westmeath County Council, was providing such a wonderful facility for the community.

“The Tidy Village group are very happy to see the building being used and while the intention is that it will be opened soon as a coffee shop it is the perfect place to host this event. This building has so much history and here is an art exhibition using a different format to tell the story,” Noel stated.

Ciara Maxwell, who is very connected to her local community saw the opportunity to work with there and intertwine the textile art and her interests together. She said she was very privileged to live in such a supportive community who were keen to get involved.

“When the workshop was advertised I was not sure if anyone would be interested but I have been overwhelmed by the interest and participation of everyone. I have enjoyed every minute so far and there has been lots of memories made and fun moments along the way. I am very thankful to Barry Kehoe and Westmeath County Council for the use of this beautiful old building to showcase this exhibition as it enhances the experience for those attending the exhibition and for exhibiting the pieces.

"Of course this exhibition could not have taken place without the commitment of the participants who embraced the idea from the start and now are showcasing their talents in the community”.

Ciara is a third year student specialising in textile art and education in the National College of Art AND Design in Dublin. She has worked on this project with the support of staff in the Department of Textile Art and The School of Education. She thanked in particular Deidre Harte, Dr Helen McAllister and Ruth Cassidy for their support with this project. The project has been supported by Creative Ireland & Westmeath County Council.